Cell phone signal boosters?

Arizona_928 · 09-01-2018, 09:52 AM

I'm looking at one to get for my property in northern az. The closest tower is in town, maybe 15 miles away. The local tower is a cellular one, and I Suspect it's a 3g tower as that's all I ever get when I get into town. I currently use t mobile and the service is crap. I can make phone calls, and maybe pull up a web page every two minutes when I'm in the fifth wheel.

Everyone I have talked to suggests I call the carriers to get a tower placed on my land, but I don't have city power hard wired (i do have the long distance power lines maybe a mile away on federal land)
Just have that daewoo generator for the water well, and the fifth wheels onboard osan generator for power options.

I'm leaning towards the eBay units as they're pretty cheap and I don't mind dropping 100 bucks on something that might / might not work.

What do you guys think?

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

Are you trying for better phone or better internet?

porsche tech · 09-01-2018, 10:39 AM

Several years ago when we moved here, we could not make or receive a cell call from our house. Either had to go out in the street in front or the fairway out back and then it was still "iffy". We called Verizon and they wanted $200 for an amplifier. After My wife said "we're paying for good service, not getting it and you have the equipment to give us good service" they finally gave us a Samsung unit that solved the problem. Since then, after several years of arguing, the neighborhood finally put a tower in that looks like a pine tree. Problem solved.

daepp · 09-01-2018, 10:39 AM

I have a similar question - in the laws of physics is it possible to "boost" a signal? I know you can put a relay station in, say half the distance from the city's tower, and reamplify the signal. But can a local device take a weak signal and make it stronger?

Evans, Marv · 09-01-2018, 10:42 AM

I'll be checking on this thread, because we don't have a cell signal at our house. We can go up the road a mile and get one, so I'm hoping some kind of signal booster might benefit us.

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

Sure it can...It would just be a better antenna and an amplifier. It is particularly easy with a digital signal.

Dantilla · 10:53 AM

I have a signal booster.

I live on the side of a small mountain, on the opposite side of most civilization where the cell towers are. Very poor coverage with Verizon, no signal at all with AT&T.

We had lots of dropped calls. When the phone rang, had to run to the Northeast corner of the house to get the best signal, which was still spotty.

Though not a miracle worker, the signal booster makes a big difference. If there is no signal, there is nothing to boost. Since we do have some signal, the booster does amplify it enough that we have no more dropped calls, but it sometimes takes quite a while to send a text that has a picture.

Before installing the signal booster, it was common for me to wait until I went to town to make business calls. Now I can be out on the deck, enjoying the incredible view while I conduct business.

Arizona_928 · 09-01-2018, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fintstone

Are you trying for better phone or better internet?

This point internet. I don't have issues with call dropping, but there is some static and feedback when I make calls.

scottmandue · 09-01-2018, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dantilla

If there is no signal, there is nothing to boost.

We got the free booster from T-Mobile (not sure why we got it for free, some neighbors paid for theirs) and yeah when there is zero signal not a big help.

My wife has an iPhone and complains a lot (but she is on her phone a lot).

Sometime we are sitting in the living room next to each other and she exclaims "I have no signal!!!" while my androids shows two-three bars.

We are starting to wonder if she is one of those people that just are cursed when it comes to electronics.

stealthn · 09-01-2018, 01:02 PM

Use them all the time for remote sites, trailers. Smooth talker is the best but $$$. You need a Yagi antenna to point it to the tower and it would have to be up high enough to get over trees, hills, etc. Sure call is the other ones we use about $300 new

James Brown · James Brown's Garage

i have 0 service also (with ATT) so they said "why don't you give a microcell a try? Ok. what is that?? it is a small transmitter/receiver, about 100 yards range from the box, that connect the cell phone to the internet via some voodoo. Now i get 5 bars and full wifi. But you still need internet connection. Ask your service provider for a MICROCELL they work.

daepp · 09-01-2018, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Brown

i have 0 service also (with ATT) so they said "why don't you give a microcell a try? Ok. what is that?? it is a small transmitter/receiver, about 100 yards range from the box, that connect the cell phone to the internet via some voodoo. Now i get 5 bars and full wifi. But you still need internet connection. Ask your service provider for a MICROCELL they work.

I have heard good things about microcells, but since he doesn’t have electricity I assumed he also did not have Internet access except through cellular.

A930Rocket · 09-01-2018, 04:07 PM

We are with AT&T have 1 bar inside the house if we are lucky. I bought an MICROCELL and it seems to be hit or miss as to if it's working. When it does work, we have 5 bars.

Arizona_928 · 09-01-2018, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daepp

I have heard good things about microcells, but since he doesn’t have electricity I assumed he also did not have Internet access except through cellular.

Have a generator, and battery bank in the fifth wheel.

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

If you have a good internet connection - just get a micro-cell. They essentially give you VOIP. I have 5 bars on my property even if the tower goes down.